Tuesday, May 01, 2007

WHY GOD CREATED YOUTUBE™: McDLT® Commercials

If you've ever spoken to me in person for more than about five minutes, you've probably heard me make reference to the McDLT®, McDonald's hamburger failure. It hasn't been until I actually sat down to write this that I finally figured out what the root of my obsession must be: the McDLT® was probably my first encounter with Conceptual Art. I mean, just look at the commercial above: you've got two sets of dancers -- one set of "urban" dancers dressed in red ("HOT"), the other set of "caucasian" dancers dressed in blue ("COOL"). You've got a jingle that's more about the packaging concept than it is about the actual enjoyment of the food ("The hot [clap clap] stays HOT!"). And the structure of the commercial is all about the education of the consumer ("Hear about McDonald's new McDLT®? It could be the best tasting hamburger EVER!"). Is there any wonder that the McDLT® has haunted my dreams since the mid 80s?

And as a bonus, please enjoy this alternate McDLT® commercial starring musical theatre enthusiast Jason Alexander, rocking pushed-up jacket sleeves and a fab toupee. But also keep your eyes peeled for the first reveal shot of the McDLT® packaging, where I swear they actually have a smoke machine pumping "steam" out of the "HOT" side of the sandwich. C'est magnifique!